Easy ‘sideways’ potato gratin

This potato gratin is meltingly soft underneath and wonderfully crispy on top. Arrange potato slices ‘sideways’ for a beautiful presentation.

We eat potatoes pretty frequently, in one shape or another. Roast potatoes are a favourite, mash makes a regular appearance, and then there’s my potato and carrot layer bake that graces our table every few weeks, too. Oh, and hasselback potatoes, potato salad, jacket potatoes… 

I decided it was time to ring the changes and make a new and innovative potato dish. I was after something simple and straightforward, ideally a potato side dish that would look more impressive than the effort required to make it. Not much to ask, surely?

Turn it sideways

I settled on a potato gratin, and decided to jazz it up by layering the potato slices sideways – upright rather than horizontal. It looked quite funky before it went into the oven and brilliant when it came out! The crispy vertical slices were really decorative, and the whole thing looked gorgeous – just have a look at the photos.

What kind of potatoes?

I like to use small floury potatoes to make this sideways potato gratin. You don’t want your slices to be too big – around 5-6cm (approx. 2 inches) across is perfect. A floury textured potato can absorb the stock in the bottom of the dish, and also crisp up nicely at the top.

Floury potato varieties include King Edward and Maris Piper, both of which are ideal. Alternatively look for anything labelled as a ‘baking potato’ or good for making roasties.

Potato gratin – a popular choice

DH was very keen on this potato gratin, as was our daughter Kipper (who ate several large spoonfuls). Each potato slice is meltingly soft and savoury at one end, where it has cooked in the stock in the bottom of the dish, and lovely and crispy at the other end where it’s been poking out.

Brushing the top edges of the potato slices with a little oil before baking in the oven makes sure they turn golden brown and crispy. So delicious!

Ingredients in sideways potato gratin

This delicious and beautiful side dish could hardly be easier! All you will need to make one yourself is:

• Potatoes – of course! Choose a ‘floury’ variety for best results.
• Vegetable stock – from a cube is fine.
• Olive oil – so your potato slices get nice and crispy and golden.

You can also add a little salt and pepper to season if you like.

Easy, and prepare ahead

This sideways potato gratin is very easy to assemble. It can also be prepared in advance. On this occasion I microwaved it and then shoved it straight into a hot oven, but it can also be microwaved in advance and then baked later. Perfect if you want to get a head start on things earlier in the day.

‘Sideways’ Potato Gratin

I wish all my innovations in the kitchen worked as well as this! Definitely going in the ‘make again’ file.

The recipe makes 4 generous servings of delicious potato gratin. 

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📖 Recipe

Sideways potato gratin

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This potato gratin is meltingly soft underneath and wonderfully crispy on top. Arrange potato slices 'sideways' for a beautiful presentation.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British, European, Vegan

Servings 6

Calories 277 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1.5 kg floury potatoes
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 200 ml hot vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to season optional

Instructions

 

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 4-5mm (approx. ¼ inch) slices. Place in a large mixing bowl and pour the oil over. Mix with your hands to ensue that each slice is coated with oil.
• Arrange the slices vertically in an ovenproof dish. Start with a row around the edge, then fill in the centre. Use different sized pieces to fill the gaps and ensure the slices are packed tightly. Set aside any oil remaining in the mixing bowl once the potato slices are arranged in the baking dish.
• Pour the stock over the potatoes and cook in a microwave on full power for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Once the potatoes have cooked in the microwave, brush the top with the reserved oil, season with salt and pepper if desired, then transfer to the oven.
• Bake at 180°C (350°F) for around an hour until brown and crispy on top. Serve hot!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sideways potato gratin

Amount per Serving

Calories

277

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

10

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

7

g

Sodium

 

148

mg

6

%

Potassium

 

1053

mg

30

%

Carbohydrates

 

44

g

15

%

Fiber

 

6

g

25

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

76

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

49

mg

59

%

Calcium

 

30

mg

3

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword potato

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